Benromach distillery information
The Benromach (“Shaggy mountain”) distillery in Forres was founded in 1898 by Duncan MacCallum (Who at the time also owned the Glen Nevis distillery in Campbeltown) and F.W. Brickman (A spirit broker from Leith) under the name of the Benromach distillery company. Construction started the same year, but due to a depression, the distillery was not ready to produce until 1900. It was closed down in the same year due to a lack of funding. Between 1907 and 1910, the distillery operated under the name of Forres, ran soleley by Duncan MacCallum. In 1911, however, it was acquired by Harvey McNair & Co from London, who operated it until the First World War broke out. A group of brewers took over, using the name of Benromcach Distillery Ltd and reopened the distillery when the war ended, but once again, Benromach had to close its doors in 1931. When it reopened in 1937, it was the first distillery to replace the traditional direct coal heating of the stills with direct oil heating. In 1938 Benromach Distillery Ltd was taken over by Associated Scottish Distillers Ltd, part of Train & McIntyre Ltd, itself in turn owned by National Distillers of America. In 1953, Distillers Company Ltd (which would later become part of Diageo) bought Train & McIntyre, which saw the Benromach distillery transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers. Both in 1966 and 1974, the distillery was rebuilt and modernized. It continued producing until 1983, when it was closed once more. Ownership changed to United Distillers in 1986, who in turn sold it to independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail in 1992. Production once again resumed in 1998, when it reopened in October 15th. Presently, the distillery is run by a 3 man team.Benromach Whiskies
Benromach is one of the few remaining distilleries in the Speyside that use peat during their kilning phase; a practise abandoned by most Speyside distilleries after the 1960s. Their core range consists of:- 10 Years Old; matured in 80% Bourbon barrels and 20% Sherry hogsheads. Finished 1 year in first fill Oloroso casks
- Cask Strength; matured in first fill Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 58.2% ABV
- Organic; matured in Virgin oak
- Peat Smoke; matured in first fill Bourbon oak. Peated at 67 ppm
- Wood Finishes; Port Wood finish and Sassicaia finish were limited releases from 2000 and 2005 respectively that currently are no longer available.
- 1976; matured in first fill- and refill Sherry hogsheads
- 1969; matured in refill Sherry hogsheads
- 30 Years Old; matured in first fill- and refill Sherry casks
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Benromach |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Water source | Chapelton springs / Romach hills |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Gordon & MacPhail |
| Address | Benromach Distillery Company Ltd. Invererne Road Forres Moray IV36 3EB +44 (0)1309 675 968 |
| Visitor centre | ? |
| Website | http://www.benromach.com/ |
| https://twitter.com/benromach | |
| https://www.facebook.com/benromach | |
| Community | Friends of Benromach |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 1.5 tonnes | 1 (Stainless Steel, Semi Lauter) |
| Washback | 11,000 litres | 4 (Siberian Larch) |
| Wash still | 7,500 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 5,000 litres | 1 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 500,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Benromach means “Shaggy mountain”. The distillery in Forres was founded in 1898 by Duncan MacCallum, who at the time also owned the Glen Nevis distillery in Campbeltown, together with F.W. Brickman, a spirit broker from Leith, under the name Benromach Distillery Company.
Construction began in 1898, but a depression meant the distillery wasn’t ready to produce until 1900, when it promptly closed again due to lack of funding. Between 1907 and 1910, it operated under the name Forres, run solely by Duncan MacCallum, before Harvey McNair & Co of London acquired it in 1911 and ran it until the First World War.
Yes. After reopening in 1937 following a 1931 closure, Benromach became the first distillery to replace traditional direct coal heating of its stills with direct oil heating.
Benromach Distillery Ltd was taken over in 1938 by Associated Scottish Distillers Ltd, part of Train & McIntyre Ltd, itself owned by National Distillers of America. In 1953, Distillers Company Ltd, which would later become part of Diageo, bought Train & McIntyre, transferring Benromach to Scottish Malt Distillers. The distillery was rebuilt and modernised in both 1966 and 1974.
Benromach closed again in 1983. Ownership passed to United Distillers in 1986, who sold it to independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail in 1992. Production resumed on 15 October 1998, and the distillery is presently run by a three-person team.
Yes. Benromach is one of the few remaining Speyside distilleries to use peat during kilning, a practice most Speyside distilleries abandoned after the 1960s.
The core range includes a 10 Year Old, matured in 80% Bourbon barrels and 20% Sherry hogsheads with a one-year finish in first-fill Oloroso casks, and a Cask Strength bottling matured in first-fill Bourbon barrels at 58.2% ABV. The Contrasts range adds Organic, matured in virgin oak, and Peat Smoke, matured in first-fill Bourbon oak and peated to 67 ppm, alongside now-discontinued limited Port Wood and Sassicaia wood finishes. The Heritage range includes a 1976 and a 1969, both matured in Sherry hogsheads, and a 30 Year Old matured in first-fill and refill Sherry casks.
Yes, Benromach has a visitor centre, with tours and tastings available throughout the year.